A group of students from Harvard have come up with an innovative new way for the visually impaired to experience art along with everyone else. The project is called “Midas Touch” and uses 3D printing to make visual art more accessible.

The basic premise is that 3D printing allows a normal 2D painting to have textures and layers added to it, creating a 3D experience. The result would be a piece of art that includes distinct shapes, textures and transitions – aspects which are much easier for the visually impaired to understand.

Even though these aspects may be easier to understand, there is still the issue of creating something significant for a visually impaired person. The team behind the idea have realised that issues arise when it comes to attaching significance to various aspects of a paint, such as color.